Applicator



y 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL 3,385,260

APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 11, 1965 TIL l T J L May28, 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL 3,385,260

APPLICATOR Origin a1 Filed May 11, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m m In an 8 a 7MIX Q L r H I [I I May 28, 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL APPLICATOR 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed May 11, 1965 May 28, 1968 H. B. MOORS T I-APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed May 11, 1965 May 28, 1968 H.B. MOORS ET AL APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Original iled May 11, 1965United States Patent 0 3,385,260 APPLIQATOR Harold B. Moors, Richboro,William E. Schwenk, Norristown, William .l. Crothers, 51"., Bryn Mawr,and James N. Ademino, Ambler, Pa, assignors to International PaperCompany, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 454,935, May 11, 1965. This application Aug. 14,1967, Ser. No. 660,531

8 Claims. (Cl. 118-202) This application is a continuation of US. patentapplication Ser. No. 454,935 filed May 11, 1965.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in liquidapplicators in general and particularly seeks to provide a novel devicefor impregnating the raw edges of paper board carton blanks with ahydrophobic substance to prevent liquid or moisture absorption throughsuch edges.

Plastic coated paper board containers have long been used for thepackaging of liquids such as milk and orange juice where the shelf-liferequirements are relatively short; seldom more than a few days.

A widely used container for such purposes includes a gable top and asquare cross-section body having an overlapping side seam extending downinto a fiat bottom, In this type of construction the raw edge of theinner lap of the side seam is exposed to the contents and wickingthereof into the side seam, particularly in the area of the right anglefold at the bottom, may cause leakage or seepage to develop underprolonged storage conditions.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus to impregnatecertain raw edge portions of paper board or other fibrous containerblanks with a hydrophobic material to prevent edge wicking when theblank is formed into a container and filled with a liquid.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated which is operably installed adjacent the supplymagazine of a container blank folding and side seaming machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an up paratus of thecharacter stated that includes a heated receptacle for containing theimpregnating material at a predetermined level and an applicator rollhaving an absorbtive resilient surface partly immersed in theimpregnating material and moveable into and out of contact with edgeportions of container blanks passing through the supply magazine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated in which means are provided to pre-heat those edgeportions of the container blanks that subsequently are to be contactedby the applicator roll.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated in which means are provided to move automatically thepre-heater and applicator roll into contact with the container blanksupon start-up of the folding and seaming machine and to retract the samefrom contact with the blanks whenever the folding and seaming machine isstopped.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated in which the applicator roll is friction driven bycontact with the container blanks when in its operative position andpower driven when in its inoperative or retracted position in order tokeep it constantly rotating in the impregnating material and avoid atemperature drop of the roll and of the impregnating material carriedthereby.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will be moreapparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference tothe following detailed description taken in connection with the appendeddrawings, in which:

3,385,260 Patented May 28, 1968 "ice FIG. 1 is a perspective view of afragmentary portion of a container showing the area impregnated throughthe use of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fragment of a plastic coated flat blankshowing in greater detail the location and extent of impregnation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the feed end of a container blank foldingand seaming machine with the apparatus of this invention installed and astack of blanks in the supply magazine;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 55 of FIG. 3 with thestack of blanks broken away to show the apertured wall of the supplymagazine through which the applicator roll and pre-heater are projectedinto contact with edge portions of the blanks;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevation of the apparatus of thisinvention;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation thereof with the motor drive left oii;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken along line 88 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal section taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 and showsa load-release type of drive connection for the driven wheel on theapplicator roll shaft;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 6 and showsthe applicator roll and pro-heater in operative contact with the stackof blanks;

FIG. ll is a vertical section taken along line 1111 of FIG. 6 and showsthe applicator roll and pre-heater in their retracted positions;

FIG. 12 is a horizontal section taken along line 1212 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a horizontal section taken along line 1313 of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical control circuitand air piping used in conjunction with this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that a preferred form ofimpregnating apparatus generally indicated A constructed in accordancewith this invention is attached to a side rail B of the feed magazine ofa container blank folding and seaming machine C. The latter might be,for example, of the type described in the copending United States patentapplication of Riedinger and Schwenk, Ser. No. 381,619, filed July 10,1964.

The impregnating apparatus A comprises a main frame formed from twosymmetrically opposed metal castings 5, 5 held together by bolts 6 toform a structure that includes a lower reservoir 7 to hold liquefiedimpregnating material and a pair of spaced parallel side plates 8, 8.The plates 8, 8 may be integral with the casting 5, 5.

An applicator roll 9, made from felt or other suitable absorbentresilient material, is mounted on a shaft 10 journalled in bearingblocks 11 mounted in horizontal slideways 12 formed in the side plates8. The applicator roll 9 is of such size and is so positioned (see FIGS.10 and 11) that its lower portion is constantly immersed in the Wax orother impregnating material in the reservoir 7 and a face portion isprojectable beyond the front of the main frame in accordance with thepositions of the hearing blocks 11 as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

One end of the shaft 10 extends beyond its associated side plate 8 andcarries a knurled driven wheel 13 rotatably mounted thereon between apair of collars 14, 14 secured to the shaft. The wheel 13 is normallyrestrained against rotation with respect to the shaft 10 by aspringloaded ball detent 15 or other suitable type of load-releasedriving connection.

The applicator roll 9 may be positively driven by sliding the bearingblocks 11 rearwardly to bring the driven wheel 13 into friction contactwith a driving wheel 16 operably carried by a reduction geared electricmotor drive generally indicated at 17 and attached to the main frame ofthe impregnating apparatus.

A container blank pre-heater generally indicated 18 is sliduhly mountedon four horizontally positioned oppositcly disposed roller studs 1hfastened to the side plates 8, and includes a vertical front face 20, adownwardly and rearwardly projecting tongue 23 and a lug 22 extendingupwardly from the rear thereof. The underside of the preheatcr 18 isconcavely shaped to generally conform to the curvature of the applicatorroll 9 so that the pre-heater serves both as a partial housing and anadditional source of heat therefor.

A short stroke two-way air cylinder 23 is mounted on a cross bar 24affixed between the side plates 8 above the pro-heater 18 and isprovided with a rearwardly extending piston rod 25 adjustably attachedto the pre-heater lug 22 as by nuts 26 to reciprocate the pre-heaterfrom a forward position in which its face is in heating contact with astack of container blanks to a rear position in which the face 20 hasbeen retracted from contact with the blanks.

The connection between the piston rod and the lug 22 is preferablyadjusted so that forward movement of the pre-heatcr 18 is stopped whenits face 20 contacts the stack of blanks and is maintained inpressure-contact therewith by the air cylinder. When operation of theair cylinder is reversed the rearward movement of the preheater isstopped as the result of the bottom portion of the lug 22 coming intocontact with an adjustable abutment screw 27 mounted through a cross bar28 arlixed to the back of the side plates 8.

The applicator roll 9 is constantly urged towards its projecting orcontainer blank contacting position by contpression springs 29 carriedwithin the side plates 8 and acting against the rear faces of thebearing blocks 11 (see FIG. 13). The limit of forward movement of theappli cator is determined by adjustable abutment screws 30 carriedwithin the side plates 8 and contactable by the front faces of thebearing blocks 11, and the roll is frictionally driven by contact withthe container blanks.

A rearwardly extending arm 31 having an inwardly projecting car 32 isattached to the rear face of each of the bearing blocks 11 as at 34-. Anadjustable abutment screw 35 extends through each ear 32 into proximitywith the downwardly extending tongue portion 21 of the preheater 18 sothat when the pro-heater is moved toward its rear or retracted positionby the air cylinder 23, its tongue portion 21 will contact the abutmentscrews 35 to pull the bearing blocks 11 rearwardly against the action ofthe compression springs 29 and withdraw the applicator roll 9 out ofcontact with the stack of container blanks. This rearward movement ofthe applicator roll 9 and its shaft 10 brings the knurled driven wheel13 into operative contact with the driving wheel 1% of the motor drive17 and also into contact with the roller 36 of a normally openmicro-switch 37' to move it into its closed position and actuate themotor drive to keep the applicator roll turning during the time it isout of contact with the stack of container blanks.

The reservoir 7 is heated by a pair of electrical heating elements 38,38 under control of a thermostat schematically indicated at 39. Thetemperature required is of course dictated by the type of impregnant tobe used. If for example, a relatively low melting point paraffin isused, it would be maintained at from about 150 F. to 200 F. in thereservoir in order to properly impregnate the container blank edges.

Pre-heating of the container blank edges is necessary in order to avoidhardening of the impregnant before it has adequately penetrated (%s" ormore) the edge portions of the blanks to be treated. Accordingly thepreheater is heated by another pair of electrical heating elements 40,40 under control of a thermostat schematically indicated at 41. Theseshould be regulated to provide a 4- temperature at the face 20 of thepre-hcater of approximately 300 F., although this too will be variableas the physical characteristics. of the paper board blanks may bechanged.

No wiring diagram is shown for these heaters and thermostats as it isconsidered conventional.

By reference to FIG. 14 it will be seen that operating air for thisapparatus is supplied through a pipe 42 to a two-way spring-biasedsolenoid valve 43, which in the position indicated admits air to theback side of the cylinder 23 through a reduction valve 44 and pressuregauge 45. In this condition the pre-heater 18 and the applicator roll 9are in their forward or operative positions and the pressure of thepre-heater against the stack of container blanks has been properlyadjusted by the setting of the reducing valve 44.

When the pro-heater and applicator roll are to be retracted fromoperative contact with the stack of container blanks, a switch 46 isclosed to energize the solenoid valve 43 and reverse the action of theair cylinder 23. Flow control valves 47 and 48 are used in the line fromthe front side of the air cylinder 23 to the solenoid valve 43 tocushion the action of the air cylinder in both directions. As mentionedabove, when this retractive movement occurs the knurled wheel 13 on theapplicator roll shaft 10 closes the microswitch 37 to start the motordrive 17.

As generally indicated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, theimpregnating apparatus A of this invention is secured to the side rail Bof a container blank feed magazine D of the folding and seaming machineC. The side plate of the magazine adjacent .to the apparatus A issuitably apertured to permit the faces of the applicator roll 9 and thepre-heater 18 to be projected therethrough into contact with edgeportions of a stack of container blanks B being moved downwardly throughthe magazine D when the folding and seaming machine is in operation.

Referring to FIG. 10 of the drawings, it will be seen that as the blanksE move downwardly through the magazine, edge portions thereof firstcontact the face 20 of the pre-heater to raise their temperature andthen move into contact with the resilient face of the applicator roll 9to absorb molten wax therefrom and to frictionally drive the applicatorroll. The resulting impregnation of the blanks is clearly indicated inFIG. 2 of the drawings and the absorbed wax is shown by the generallyrectangular stippled area F. This is also shown in FIG. 1 whichrepresents a fragment of a finished container.

Whenever the folding and seaming machine is stopped and no blanks aremoving through the feed magazine, the pre-heater 18 and the applicatorroll 9 are Withdrawn from contact with the blanks and the applicatorroll becomes power driven by the motor drive 17, as previouslydescribed, in order to maintain its uniform temperature and to preventthe wax on its surface from hardening.

Upon shutdown of this apparatus the wax in the reservoir 7 will solidifyand lock the applicator wheel against rotation. Then when this apparatusis again started the applicator wheel cannot rotate until the Wax hasbeen completely melted, and the motor drive 17 would be stalled if itwere not for the overload detent or drive connection 15 on the drivenwheel 13 which permits that wheel to rotate relative to the shaft 10during melting of the wax.

Following initial start up as described above and during continuousoperation molten wax may be maintained at a predetermined level in thereservoir 7 by any suitable type of heated recirculating supply system(not shown).

While the invention has been described in connection with a specificexample thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereofwill occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feedmagazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, andmeans for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom ofsaid stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack tomove downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including apre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of saidblanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heatsaid edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, anapplicator positioned below and closely adjacent said pre-heater andeifective to apply an impregnant to said heated edge portions, and meansto supply an impregnant to said applicator.

2. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feedmagazine adapted to hold .a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, andmeans for successively withdrawing individual blanks from .the bottom ofsaid stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack tomove downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including apre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of saidblanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heatsaid edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, anapplicator positioned below and closely adjacent said pre-heater andeffective to apply an impregnant to said heated edge portions, means tosupply an impregnant to said applicator, and means for rendering saidpre-heater and said applicator inoperative when said blank feedingapparatus is stopped.

3. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feedmagazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, andmeans for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom ofsaid stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack tomove downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including apre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of saidblanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heatsaid edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, anapplicator roll having an absorbent and resilient surface and positionedbelow and closely adjacent to said pre-heater and in contact with saidheated edge portions to apply an impregnant thereto, means to supply animpregnant to said applicator roll, and means for withdrawing saidpre-heater and said applicator roll from contact with the edges of saidblanks when said blank feeding apparatus is stopped.

4. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feedmagazine adapted to hold a stack of fiat fibrous container blanks, andmeans for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom ofsaid stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack tomove downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including apre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of saidblanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heatsaid edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, anapplicator roll having an absorbent and resilient surface and positionedbelow and closely adjacent to said pre-heater and in contact with saidheated edge portions to apply an impregnant thereto, means to supply animpregnant to said applicator roll, means for maintaining saidimpregnant at a predetermined temperature, said applicator roll beingfriction driven by movement of said blanks when in contact therewith,means for mechanically driving said applicator roll when out of contactwith the edges of said blanks, means for withdrawing said pre-heater andsaid applicator roll from contact with the edges of said blanks whensaid blank feeding apparatus is stopped, and means for actuating saidapplicator roll driving means whenever said applicator roll is withdrawnfrom contact with the edges of said blanks.

5. In a container blank feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adaptedto hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, and means forsuccessively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom of said stackwhereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack to movedownwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including apre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of saidblanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heatsaid edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, anapplicator roll having an absorbent and resilient surface and positionedbelow and closely adjacent to said preheater and in contact with sa-idheated edge portions to apply an impregnant thereto, animpregnant-containing reservoir located beneath said applicator roll insuch position that the lower portion thereof is immersed in saidimpregnant, means for maintaining said impregnant at a predeterminedtemperature, said applicator roll being friction driven by movement ofsaid blanks when in contact therewith, means for mechanically drivingsaid applicator roll when out of contact with the edges of said blankswhereby to maintain said applicator roll at a uniform temperature bytransfer of heat from said impregnant, means for withdrawing said preheater and said applicator roll from contact with the edges of saidblanks when said blank feeding apparatus is stopped, and means foractuating said applicator roll driving means whenever said applicatorroll is withdrawn from contact with the edges of said blanks.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said pre-heater has anarcuate heating surface partially surrounding said applicator roll andarranged to heat the latter.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said pre-heater andsaid applicator roll are separately mounted and in which saidwithdrawing means comprises an air cylinder having a piston connected tosaid pre-heater and interconnecting means joining said pre-heater andsaid applicator so that motion of said pre-heater away from said edgesof said blanks moves said applicator roll out of contact with said edgeof said blanks.

8. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feedmagazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, andmeans for successively withdrawing individual blanks from an end of saidstack and advancing the remainder of the blanks in said stack in a feeddirection; the combination of impregnating apparatus including apre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of saidblanks during their advancement through said feed magazine to heat saidedge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicatorpositioned downstream of and closely adjacent said pre heater andeffective to apply an impregnant to said heated edge portions, and meansto supply an impregnant to said applicator.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,870 1/ 1942 Carter 118-2362,639,688 5/1953 Procter 118-236 2,687,110 8/1954 West et al 118-262 XR2,693,429 11/1954 Radtke et al. 118-262 XR 2,746,422 5/1956 Newman etal. 118-236 3,057,326 10/1962 Jeddeloh 118-236 3,262,418 7/1966 Stephenset a1. 118-236 XR 3,273,531 9/1966 Boothroyd et al 118-202 3,306,2552/1967 Kolibas 118-236 XR CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner.

5. IN A CONTAINER BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS HAVING A FEED MAGAZINE ADAPTEDTO HOLD A STACK OF FLAT FIBROUS CONTAINER BLANKS, AND MEANS FORSUCCESSIVELY WITHDRAWING INDIVIDUAL BLANK FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID STACKWHEREBY TO CAUSE THE REMAINDER OF THE BLANKS IN SAID STACK TO MOVEDOWNWARDLY; THE COMBINATION OF IMPREGNATING APPARATUS INCLUDING APRE-HEATER MAINTAINED IN CONTACT WITH CERTAIN EDGE PORTIONS OF SAIDBLANKS DURING THEIR DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID FEED MAGAZINE TO HEATSAID EDGE PORTIONS AND RENDER THEM RECEPTIVE TO AN IMPREGNANT, ANAPPLICATOR ROLL HAVING AN ABSORBENT AND RESILIENT SURFACE AND POSITIONEDBELOW AND CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID PREHEATER AND IN CONTACT WITH SAIDHEATED EDGE PORTIONS TO APPLY AN IMPREGNANT THERETO, ANIMPREGNANT-CONTAINING RESERVOIR LOCATED BENEATH SAID APPLICATOR ROLL INSUCH POSITION THAT THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF IS IMMERSED IN SAIDIMPREGNANT, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID IMPREGNANT AT A PREDETERMINETEMPERATURE, SAID APPLICATOR ROLL BEING FRICTION DRIVEN BY MOVEMENT OFSAID BLANKS WHEN IN CONTACT THEREWITH, MEANS FOR MECHANICALLY DRIVINGSAID APPLICATOR ROLL WHEN OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID BLANKSWHEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID APPLICATOR ROLL AT A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE BYTRANSFER OF HEAT FROM SAID IMPREGNANT, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAIDPRE-HEATER AND SAID APPLICATOR ROLL FROM CONTACT WITH THE EDGES OF SAIDBLANKS WHEN SAID BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS IS STOPPED, AND MEANS FORACTUATING SAID APPLICATOR ROLL DRIVING MEANS WHENEVER SAID APPLICATORROLL IS WITHDRAWN FROM CONTACT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID BLANKS.